Lake Alfred

Lake Alfred is a small town of 4,000 people in north-central Polk County, Florida. The town lies along U.S. 17/92, which runs north/south through the center of town. Easily a drive-through community for motorists, it is worth a stop to hike through Mackay Gardens, browse the family-owned businesses along Haines St, or maybe even learn to water ski.

See: 1
Do: 2
Eat: 6
Buy: 4

13 places

Buy

Biggars Antiques

Antique store, with a focus on country antiques & oak furniture.

Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM

Eat

Gary's Oyster Bar & Seafood House

As the name suggests, this restaurant features a wide range of seafood eats, from shrimp & catfish to oysters and alligator.

Dinner daily.

Buy

Lang's Sun Country Groves

Gift-fruit shipper, offering citrus gift baskets and assorted candies, jams, juices and small gifts.

Mon-Sat 9AM-5PM (Closed Jun-Sep)

Eat

Lang's Taste of Florida Café

Serving up fresh soups, salads, & entrées...but save room for dessert. A wide range of homemade pies, ice cream, shakes, and more is the highlight. Most dishes/desserts feature fresh, local citrus and strawberries.

Mon-Sat 10:30AM-5PM (Oct-May)

Lucky Lowe Ski School

Water ski school. Pay for individual lessons/rides, daily (3-4 lessons), or weekly (5 days, 3-4 lessons/day, & accommodation).

See

Mackay Garden & Lakeside Preserve

Beautiful old mansion & estate with a playground and nature trails. The estate was built by Scottish entrepreneur Alexander Mackay, who named it "La Rochelle". The 7,000 square foot mansion is a great example of Craftsman style architecture. The interior is only open for tours (need to be scheduled) and for private events. There are a few miles of nature trails around the estate. The trails are marked by paint on posts & trees, but some sections aren't well marked and/or aren't cleared very wide (less than 2 ft wide in spots). Near the estate is a playground, restrooms, and small, Florida-friendly garden (showcases the local vegetation to minimize watering and fertilizer). The city purchased the estate in 2004 and has invested in many improvements to the site, but there is still more to be done.

Buy

The Barn Antiques

The owners regularly travel abroad to purchase antiques and ship them back to this store. There is a good variety of finer quality English & country antiques, with lots of furniture & home decor items. They also have a good selection of stained glass windows salvaged from old homes/furniture. This isn't a high-end antique store, but most of the stuff is good quality and the place is not overflowing with inexpensive nick-knacks like most antiques stores you'll find in the region. The family also owns the adjacent "The Stable Gifts" & "The Back Porch" restaurant.

Tue-Sun 10AM-4PM (Closed Jun-Sep)